Hot takes on cool hikes around Southwest WashingtonSubscriber Exclusive

There’s no view at the forested top of Green Mountain — but on a hot, sunny day, shade is what you really want, right? (Scott Hewitt/The Columbian)

Craving some cool shade while you hike? Clark County sites like 500-acre, deeply woodsy Green Mountain Natural Area in Camas have you covered. (Scott Hewitt/The Columbian)

If a tree falls in the Norene/Groth Forest Preserve, you can examine the ways it continues to feed the ecosystem. (Scott Hewitt/The Columbian files)

Helpful interpretive panels make a good science guide to the Salmon-Morgan Creeks Natural Area. (Scott Hewitt/The Columbian files)

The shady west end of Vancouver’s Burnt Bridge Greenway Trail is a sweet place for a cool stroll. (Taylor Balkom/The Columbian files)

A few years ago, volunteers like Jared Brown built an accessible gravel trail network in Behrens Woods, a small but healthy self-contained forest in Southeast Vancouver. (Scott Hewitt/The Columbian)

A few years ago, volunteers with the Washington Trails Association built an accessible gravel trail network in Behrens Woods, a small but healthy self-contained forest in southeast Vancouver. (Scott Hewitt/The Columbian files)

Cool, shady Whipple Creek Regional Park, which is just west of the Clark County Fairgrounds, provides “a deep forest experience without the drive,” according to the Washington Trails Association. (Scott Hewitt/The Columbian)

Bragging rights to you if you make it all the way to this aged stone mill on the south edge of Whipple Creek Regional Park. (Scott Hewitt/The Columbian)

Whipple Creek Regional Park is a big, complicated landscape. Good thing there are plenty of trail maps along the way. (Scott Hewitt/The Columbian)